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  I open my mouth to make an argument about why I’d be awesome to date, but she’s out the door with her bucket before I can make my points. Still staring at the door, I find myself smiling. Maybe I didn’t convince her tonight, but I will.

  And when I do, I’m going to make that Jade moan for completely different reasons.

  Chapter Six

  Jade

  It’s two in the morning when I finally finish cleaning the place from top to bottom. And I think I did a pretty damn good job. Partially because I was on high alert. That Evan guy was way too hot and way too good for someone like me.

  It was weird. Mr. Blake was a crush. A man I could never hope to have unless I won the lottery, or some other shit like that. But this Evan guy, he kind of seemed like someone I could really be with. Which scared the crap out of me, for some reason.

  As I reach the big front door of the place, I sigh and tap lightly outside the security guard’s little room. The blaring sound of a TV goes silent, and I hear an irritated woof of air get released. A second later, the glaring face of the man comes into view.

  “Time to be searched,” he mutters.

  I want to smack him as he searches in my bucket then makes me turn out the pockets of my apron.

  When he’s done, he glares and pulls an envelope out of his pocket. “Your money.”

  I shake my head, taking a step back. “Uh, no, that goes right to my boss, Dolly.”

  He looks at me like I’m stupid. “This is your tip. For some reason they think ‘taking care of their employees’ is the way to earn loyalty.”

  Taking the envelope, I stuff it into my apron, feeling weird.

  The guard leads me to the door, opens it, rushes me out, and slams the door behind me.

  For a minute I stand in the light from the intricate chandelier above the door, then pull the envelope out of my pocket. As I count it, my jaw drops. This is a lot of fucking money. Like, a lot. I can even get my TV back from the pawn shop!

  “Yes!” I pump my fist into the air.

  Stuffing the money deeply back into my pocket, I scurry for the gate. When I get close, it opens. I don’t even care that that probably means the security guard was watching me. I’m too excited.

  I’m so busy rushing down the sidewalk that I run right into a man.

  Gasping, I spring back, clutching the handle on my bucket more tightly, prepared to swing it straight at the man, should he attack.

  Instead, the man looks back at me in equal surprise.

  For a minute, I’m transfixed by him. He has this rigid quality you only see in a certain personality type. From his shined dark shoes to his pristine black suit, he looks like he takes pride in the way he looks. Beneath the lamp light, his hair and eyes look like the exact same shade of light brown, and his face has the perfect shape for a man. Not pretty exactly. More manly.

  He’s definitely handsome. But he also doesn’t fit in out here in the dark in the middle of the night.

  “Most serial killers are smart, good-looking men,” I say.

  His brows rise. “Excuse me?”

  “What?” I say, tightening my hand on the bucket. “I heard it somewhere. That most serial killers are actually just the kind of men who catch women off-guard. They’re charismatic, charming, and handsome.”

  His tired-looking mouth curls up at the corners. “Are you suggesting I might be a serial killer?”

  I glance around the dark road, realizing that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to call him out when I’m alone. “You don’t exactly fit in here.”

  “And you do?” he asks, lifting a brow.

  “More than you do,” I challenge, then inch a little backwards.

  He shakes his head, sighing loudly. “I don’t know whether to be flattered that you think I’m charismatic, charming, and handsome, or insulted you think I might be a serial killer.”

  I inch back again. “Choose flattered.”

  This time, he laughs. “If it helps, I’m not the least bit charming or charismatic.”

  I frown. “I find that hard to believe.”

  “Trust me,” he says. “I’m better with numbers than people any day.”

  For some reason, I do find that a little reassuring. “Well then, I guess, good night.”

  Inching around him, I keep heading for the bus stop, glancing back at him as I do.

  “Wait!” he calls after me.

  I hesitate, turning around. The night is strangely silent around us.

  “What’s your name?”

  “What’s your name?” I ask.

  He grins. “Owen.”

  “Okay, Owen, see you around.”

  I start to walk again, but his voice makes me stop.

  “Is there any way I can ask you out that won’t lead to you thinking I’m going to stalk and kill you?”

  Nibbling my lip, I think. “Do you have a card or something?”

  He reaches into his pocket, then cautiously reaches out and hands me a card. “Call me any time. I don’t have a lot of fun, but you seem like someone I’d enjoy being around.”

  I grab the card and stuff it into my pocket. “You might not like my kind of fun.”

  “Call me, and I’ll be there.”

  I nod. “We’ll see.”

  He’s smiling again when I turn and continue to the bus stop. When I sit down on the bench and look back, he’s gone. A fact that I try not to feel wary about.

  This day has been long as hell. But I’ve met two hot men…something that doesn’t exactly happen every day. And I have enough money to get my TV back. Gary’s Pawn stays open for a little longer. If everything goes smoothly with the late night buses, I should get there in plenty of time.

  Not a bad day. Not bad at all.

  Chapter Seven

  Jade

  I hesitate as I round the corner to Gary’s Pawn Shop. Police lights are whirling outside, but the sirens are off. I have the instant desire to turn and run for it, but I fight the urge. If I wait another day, I won’t be able to get my TV back. It’s now or never.

  Taking a deep breath, I start down the street, noticing the broken glass on the sidewalk outside the shop. Still, unwilling to give up my TV, I press on.

  As I reach the door, two cops step out. They barely glance in my direction as they head for their car. I step cautiously across the broken glass and enter the store, ready for the grumpy, old Mr. Gary.

  The police lights turn off outside, and I look back as the cops drive away.

  Suddenly, a man steps out from the back. A man I instantly recognize as Gary’s asshole son, Frank. A guy who tortured kids from the age of elementary school through high school. There was a massive celebration after he was expelled. He’s a bully and strangely arrogant for being misshapen by too much beer and not enough exercise.

  He turns around, spots me, and gives an unkind glare. “What do you want, Jade?”

  I jump a little. “Is your dad here?”

  His nasty mouth opens, revealing a few broken teeth. “Do you fucking see him here? Nope, the asshole went and died a few days ago. Then, when I can finally own this stupid place, it gets broken into. Like, thanks dad for leaving me a pile of shit.”

  My mouth drops open. “Gary’s dead?”

  “What, are you fucking slow? That’s what I said, didn’t I?”

  I hold out the ticket. “Uh, do you know if my TV is still in the back?”

  He wrinkles his nose. “All the electronics were taken.” His hand points at the glass cases with jewelry in them. A few of the tops have been smashed in, but not all of them. “They took some of the jewelry and broke the security camera and whole fucking system, which is going to take a lot of dough to fix, but will be up and running tomorrow. They even cracked the safe, but I think they were interrupted before they took anything.”

  When he steps back and points through the smashed-in door to the back of the shop, I see Gary’s table in the back. Sure enough, the big safe has been cracked open, but a bunch of stuff is just throw
n on the surface. I’m about to press Frank for more information about my TV when my gaze scans over something and stops.

  Suddenly, I can’t breathe. In the stuff just outside of the safe is my lamp. I’d know it anywhere.

  Tears sting the corners of my eyes, and my entire chest hurts. I take a step forward, then freeze, looking between Frank and my lamp. For so long, I knew my aunt had pawned it at a shop, but I couldn’t figure out where she’d taken it to, nor did I see it in any of the windows. She’d unkindly told me that it’d probably been melted down. But there it was, just the way I remembered it.

  “But the old man was probably losing it for a while,” Frank continues, his voice unkind. “He had pure shit in that safe. Nothing of actual value.”

  I force a smile, my thoughts turning. The safe was broken. There was no securing the lamp back in it, at least not tonight. And the security system was gone.

  I’d never be able to buy my lamp back from Frank, but I could steal it.

  Well, maybe not me, but Allie could.

  “Yo!”

  I spin and see a man by the broken door. He has a big piece of wood. “Want me to just patch up the door for now?”

  Frank glares. “What do you think, asshole?”

  The repair man shoots him a dirty look. “Yes, sir.”

  I look back at Frank, my mind spinning. “So, after you go through Gary’s books, will you call me about the TV?”

  Frank runs a hand through his balding, patchy hair. “The books were stolen, so I don’t know what to tell you. I guess… I’ll start inventorying everything tomorrow. I won’t make any promises, but I’m sure the police will make me get in touch with you.”

  Broken safe. No security cameras. No record of the inventory.

  If I could get my lamp tonight…it’d be mine, free and clear. No one would ever know. And it wouldn’t really hurt anything. Gary might have known it was something special, maybe even set it aside for his retirement, but his ungrateful son had no idea what he had.

  So, I needed to move fast. Before he figured it out.

  Chapter Eight

  Jade

  It’s almost four in the morning when Allie and I meet at the dark park. The scent of liquor laces each puff of her breath as she moves gently on the swing next to me. She has that look on her face too. The one that says she’s thinking. Planning. Plotting.

  “So, you’re sure about everything?”

  I nod. “No security camera. No record of his sales. And there’s a wealth of jewelry and other stuff everywhere.”

  She stares off. “It’s the perfect score.”

  I finally let myself get excited. “And it’s the lamp, Allie. My lamp. You know how much it means to me. It’s the only thing my father left me, and after tonight, it’ll be mine.”

  “And you don’t want any of the rest of the score?”

  “No,” I say. “I know you’re the one taking a risk. I just want the lamp.”

  At last, she turns to me and smiles. “You got yourself a deal. But, listen, I can steal the lamp tonight, but I got to get it hidden fast. I don’t want to walk around with the score. Let’s plan to meet at club Black Magic tomorrow night. I’ll get it to you there.”

  My breath rushes out. “Allie, seriously, you’re the best.”

  I stand up from my swing and hug her.

  She gives a little laugh. “Relax, girl, you’re helping me more than I’m helping you.”

  I pull back, feeling stupid as tears choke my throat and sit on my swing. “You just have no idea how much this means to me.”

  She pushes back her unruly, curly hair. “Girl, I know how much it means to you. You’ve been talking about this stupid lamp forever.”

  My relief is overwhelming. “You know this is going to change everything for us.”

  Allie whistles low. “It sure as fuck will. I’m going to get me some pretty dresses, doll myself up, and go snag a rich husband. You going to get Mr. Blake?”

  I feel my cheeks heat. “Maybe.”

  But now, that’s all I can think about. When I sell the lamp, I can live anywhere and do anything. Including finally get Mr. Blake to see me as a woman.

  “You think you’ll be able to make him love you?” She gets a funny look on her face. “You’ll pretend to like football, and his damn Angry Bananas’ team. You’ll tell him that boats ‘are your world.’ That you like to give to the ‘poor’ too, and make a good impression on that controlling, bitch mom of his?”

  I’m kind of shocked. “Do I really talk about him that much?”

  She shrugs. “My job is to read people. To know my marks. It isn’t that you talk a lot about him; it’s that I remember everything you’ve said. And just from what you’ve learned being his maid, you can make yourself into his perfect woman. You can rush him into marriage and drain him of every penny.”

  Every muscle in my body tenses. “That’s not what I want, Allie. I actually like him. And I think he could actually like me.”

  She rolls her eyes. “His world and our world are different, no matter how much money we have. If you can’t learn to manipulate him, someone else will.”

  I take a deep breath. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  After a quiet moment, swinging slightly back and forth on the swings, she stands. “I gotta get this done before daylight. You remember the plan?”

  My heart soars. “Meet tomorrow night at club Black Magic, so you can give me the lamp.”

  She nods. “And don’t text about anything… We don’t need the paper trail, just in case.”

  “Okay,” I say.

  We walk together until I branch off towards my apartment, and she goes in the direction of the pawn shop. Even after my long day, every step I take feels light. I’d thought I might never get my lamp back, no matter how much I wanted it. But it was finally happening. I could almost touch it.

  I just had to be a little more patient, and then all my dreams would finally come true.

  Chapter Nine

  Jade

  I called in sick from work, which shocked Dolly. I think I’d called in sick twice in the last five years. She knew I needed the money more than a sick day. But I don’t need it anymore. As soon as I get that lamp, I can quit that damned job, travel, go back to school, anything I want.

  Snuggling back into my pillows, I reach for my phone on my nightstand and pull up my text message thread with Allie, trying not to feel nervous. Since last night, I’d texted her five times, without response. I’d done coded messages, but still, there was no response. So, I text her again:

  Getting worried. Everything okay?

  Staring at the phone, I will her to respond, then finally sigh and set the phone down. I know she said not to make a paper trail, but she should be able to answer my casual messages. Shouldn’t she?

  She might be sleeping. She might be exhausted after a long night. Her not responding doesn’t mean she was caught and thrown in jail. Right?

  I’m definitely not built for this criminal stuff…

  I finally can’t stand lying here worrying anymore, so I get out of bed and take a shower. When I’m done, I change and head downstairs, a plan in place. This is the first day I’ve had off in longer than I can remember, and I’ve decided exactly what I want to do.

  With a pocket full of more money than I’ve had in years, I head to a used clothes shop. There, I pick up a couple new outfits. One casual, one sexy for the club tonight.

  After that, I pull out the card of the hot business man from last night. Staring at it, I type the number and my message before I can overthink it.

  In the mood for lunch? Maybe…dessert after?

  Okay, so I don’t know how to flirt. That’s code for, “feed me and fuck me,” right? It’s been so damned long since I had a date, or a good roll in the hay, but I’m in need of a distraction, and he sounds like the perfect thing.

  A response comes from him seconds later. I’m at my apartment. Want to order in?

  I’m surprised when a
shiver rolls down my spine. He means what I think he means, right? God, I hope so. I’ll be disappointed as hell if we eat and then get cake. Not that I don’t like cake, but I’m in the mood for a big dick right now.

  Taking a deep breath, I respond. Sounds perfect. Address?

  Changing into my cute new outfit, I stare in the mirror, feeling impressed. I’m a healthy size 14, so I’m used to feeling like I’m wearing a paper bag. This outfit is cute. A dark skirt, a white shirt, and a pink bra visible underneath. It’s got a sexy, playful edge to it that I never thought I could pull off, but somehow I do.

  I just hope the sexy business man…this Owen, likes it too.

  The bus ride to the nice part of town is the best ride of my life, despite the drunk puking in the back of the bus, and a couple of guys hooting at me like they’re oh so bad ass from the back of the bus. When I reach a nice street in town, I double-check Owen’s address a few times to make sure I’ve come to the right high-rise. Sure enough, the pristine glass building is right.

  Inside, a doorman gives me a look I don’t appreciate…like I’m a hooker or some shit. But after calling Owen’s apartment to make sure he’s expecting me, the doorman sends me up.

  It’s on the top floor, which somehow doesn’t surprise me.

  At the door, I hesitate. A part of my brain is screaming, what the hell are you doing? But something inside of me has changed. It’s like the dark cloud that’s been ruining my life since I lost my dad is finally gone, and I just want to sing, dance, and scream at the top of my lungs. The world that I’ve been too busy just trying to survive feels as different as I am…shinier, brighter, and just better.

  So, what am I doing standing staring at a door when a hunky man is inside waiting for me?

  Just because I’m not acting like Jade the Bitter Maid doesn’t mean I should be freaking out. It means I should embrace it and be different. I’m never going to see this Owen again, and maybe just maybe he’ll give me a little practice before Mr. Blake.